David Banner VS Superman
by DVDBILL
Summary: David Banner lives in a world where Superman is there to save the day but for some reason everything is going wrong. Superman is not the hero everyone thinks he is and David Banner is out ot prove it.


Ok, this is just a story. I do not own these characters in anyway and I admit that I am presenting them in a very different light than what they normally are. This is a kind of parody. If you don't like the subject matter, then read a different story. If you don't mind then please feel free to read and comment on my writing.

In a large, brightly lit yet much cluttered laboratory filled with all manner of scientific equipment sat Dr. David Banner with his head in his hands. He was trying to contain the emotions that were swelling up inside him. He looked up at the visitor who had come to give him such powerful news while tears of joy were forming in his eyes.

"Is it true," asked Banner in a tone that would allow anyone listening to hear his emotional state.

"Oh, it better be. If you don't finally win for this then I would have to say there was some sort of conspiracy against you." That was the reply from General Ross who gave Dr. Banner his start so many years ago. "Unofficially of course we have known that you have been nominated at least 6 different times before this."

"Six… That many huh?" Banner couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had come to believe that others thought of him as a complete oddball. Most people didn't understand him and they were always asking why this or why that and Banner just would eventually give up on people understanding him. He honestly just could not understand how other people did not get what he was talking about. This was one of the flaws in his personality, assuming that others were as smart as himself. In reality, Dr. David Banner was held to be the smartest person that the human race had yet produced by many doctors and scientist around the world. Not everyone agreed with this assessment, as equal numbers thought of him as a complete nut who didn't know himself what he was talking about but that didn't matter now. Dr. David Banner had produced results in medicine and science again and again that were worthy of the Nobel prize but he never won. This year he had produced a treatment for cancer that put some of the most deadly forms of cancer into complete remission. This same treatment was now being studied to see what other applications it could be used for and there was a hint that if modified correctly that it could be used as a cure for AIDS. This would revolutionize medicine and if it wasn't worthy of a Nobel Prize then General Ross would be right, there would have to be a conspiracy against Banner.

"I will throw you the party myself when they announce it. A lot of people have been wrong about you. You creep them out but that is their fault not yours."

Banner knew what Ross was alluding to and he really didn't want to open up that bit of old history. Betty Ross was General Ross's daughter but they had a huge falling out. General Ross had hoped that Betty would marry Banner but instead she got allured into the world of big money guys and big corporations. There were a hand full of men in the whole world who control 70 of the money through several giant, multinational corporations and Betty was now part of that world. Banner did not have anything against all that himself, corporations funded most of his work, but for some reason Betty went up in status taking on leading roles and Banner preferred to work independently because no one could understand what he was doing and Banner feared others being in the way or getting harmed out of stupidity. Betty came to enjoy and feed off of the high stakes, high money environment and she really liked it and as she moved more and more into that world she came to despise Banner and his go no where, always broke lifestyle. Banner controlled millions of dollars but it was all for research. He hardly ever took any for personal use and that was what eventually turned Betty against him. She was showered with gifts and luxury from the head guy at Wayne corp. and it didn't take long for Betty to unceremoniously break everything off with both Banner and her father and move in with the Bruce Wayne.

Banner had let her go. He didn't give much of a fight for her and had not called her or returned the calls that she had made to him. Banner just didn't understand why she would be calling him unless it was work related and as the two companies that they now worked for were in a kind of business war it would be unethical to share information. He did care about her but her final words to him were so stinging that he decided to never see her again. That was what she had asked for. That was what she said to him and he was going to honor her wishes.

"So…" began Banner to Ross, " you probably want something to drink… I know I do."

"Actually, I could use some sunglasses if you have any. Why do you keep it so bright in here anyway?"

"Long story but you know I have tried to explain it so many times."

"I know, I know but it is really bright, how can you even see what you are doing?"

"I guess I am just used to it," said Banner as he opened up the refrigerator covered in mirrors both outside and in to retrieve a bottle of some sort of liquid. Most of the surfaces in Banner's lab were covered in mirror or other kind of light reflective material. He did have more lights than would be normal but what really made the lab so bright were all the mirrors. They made the lab seem much bigger then it really was and made it really bright. Banner worked in this lab most of the day every day so he knew his way around very well but visitors usually got very confused and accused him of creating a maze. Even the door was covered in mirror so once in, you were trapped unless you could find the door.

"Thanks," Ross let out as Banner handed him a drink. "Any idea what you will work on next?"

"Oh, I was actually thinking of going on vacation. I have had to admit that I am a workaholic and I think after this I have earned it. Nothing else is really sticking out to me right now so I was kind of hoping to improve some of my past work and take it a bit easy."

"You sound like you found another girlfriend at last."

"No, that isn't it" Banner said to get Ross off the subject. "I just need some fresh air and some time to think. It isn't easy to come here and just throw myself into work everyday with no stop. My Xbox is about run down so I need another way to get R and R."

"You should come with me fishing on my yacht. We can go out into the gulf and catch some sharks."

"That is really nice but I was thinking Cancun or Brazil."

"Cancun is in the Gulf, I will sail you there. You know that is better then any other for of travel these days. You are lucky to work half a mile underground. It is near pandemonium topside. There are pirates in the gulf but I can arraign an escort for us."

"Well the offer is really nice but…"

"Don't say but David. You know I kind of think of you as the son I should have had."

"Ah, a father's love brings you so often to visit me here in my cave"

"Your very brightly lit cave where the light of reason and thought shines more brightly than anywhere else in the world."

"Well I wouldn't say all that. I wouldn't say it was really all that hard to do what I have done. If I hadn't done it than someone else eventually would have."

"David, you are years, decades ahead of everyone else in everything you touch. I wish would learn how to make weapons so we could eventually see the end of all these wars."

"But I have never agreed that more weapons decreased wars."

"Well, you could at least learn how to make weapons that Superman can't melt. Imagine him earning a Nobel Peace Prize simply by melting most of the tanks and missiles in the world and they want to make you wait so long for one."

"And now it is chaos everywhere huh?"

"Yah, but it isn't like we can arrest Superman."

"You should arrest him for being a hypocrite. He has obviously been an illegal Alien in the fullest sense of the word and gets his citizenship as a reward but then goes around busting hard working people left and right who just came here to earn a living."

"Don't say all that so loud, Mr. Super just might show up here and knock you around a bit to get you to change your mind."

"Oh, he can't hear us down here. I made sure of that in the design."

"You really don't like Superman do you?"

"You don't know him like I know him."

"He could take over the world if he wanted to but he doesn't, he helps people."

"And his help has cause most police officers to quit their jobs or get fired causing an overall increase in crime. He attacks the U.S. army to destroy all the weapons and end wars so now we have kids throwing rocks and shooting each other in the streets and blowing themselves up. Who was it that produced the only evidence against Ethiopia that got that country condemned and completely barricaded in by the rest of the world? Superman, and was his evidence true, no one knows. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church finally committed to union with the Catholic Church and Superman goes and makes sure that it can't really happen. Now we have Ethiopians starving to death and no one will help them because of Superman. He is a big blue and red bully is what he is and the world was better off without him around."

Banner was getting really worked up from his philippic against Superman and Ross was just shaking his head slowly with a sigh.

"I hate that he destroyed our equipment as much as any military man but no one was killed."

"I guess this is just one of those things where I will just have to not explain any further."

"Anyway, this is good stuff, what is it anyway?" said Ross pointing to the glass.

"I invented it. It is going through test now and we are hoping that it will become the next great sports drink."

In another part of the country Mr. Clark Kent was having a meeting with Bruce Wayne about the raise in oil prices. Contrary to what most people thought, they actually believed that prices had not yet risen high enough.

"There have been a number of strikes already but overall oil use only continues to rise" said Wayne.

"Humans are going to choke this planet to death with all this pollution, it has to stop."

"Clark, you know I agree with you and I am doing all I can to help you but I don't see how we are going to decrease emissions with our current technology and I still have to stay up against Lex corp. Don't get me wrong, you have a great heart and it is looking in the right direction but really what else can we do?"

"Lex is breaking the law I just know it. If we can catch him enough times the government will be forced to put him out of business."

"You know I would love it if Lex went out of business but he has kept his operation clean as can be. We have both investigated him and found nothing. If the emissions are coming from Lex corp. than he is very sneaky about it."

"I suppose I could hand you over some more technology…"

"We had an agreement. You already gave my company the cure for cancer so that Dr. Sterns will win the Nobel instead of… what was his name again?"

"Banner"

"Ah, yah so that Banner guy won't win. Clark, why do you hate him so much anyway?"

"Ah, it isn't hate. I just know that David is a bad person. I have always known it, even when we were growing up together."

"You sure go through some great lengths to punish this guy. I don't know what he did to you but sometimes I wonder if you should just lay off. You already got me to steal his girlfriend, thank you by the way she is brilliant, and you have made sure that nothing every goes right for him."

"Not quite, he is still a successful scientist."

"Who does all of his work in a secret base to be away from Superman because you have made him paranoid. One of these days he will be protesting in front of the white house asking for an end of discrimination against smart people. They don't all want to take over the world you know."

"You don't know him like I know him" said Clark in a distant tone. "You make it out like he is afraid of me. I don't think he is, but I do think that we all have a lot to fear from him. He is doing something bad, that is why he doesn't want anyone to know where he works. That is why he hides. One of these days I will find him and expose him for the devil that he is. Until then the best I can do is make sure he doesn't receive any public praise for the work he does that I just know is done by committing some crime or another."

"And if he hasn't committed any crimes."

"Then it means our laws are just not tough enough and new laws that outlaw whatever evil David Banner is committing…"

"Ah, ex post facto, You know, to be a guy to claims to uphold the American way you sure have never read the constitution."

"You know I am a member of the English only party."

"Ah, get rid of all the Latin, now I see. At least Captain America knew a little Spanish."

"Captain steroid user you mean. When is he due to get out?"

"He only got six months and that was commuted, but he might as well be in jail. He will never be able to go in public again thanks to you."

"I could hardly let someone calling himself Captain America not live up to the high standards that this great country deserves and get away with it."

"And I agreed with you then. I am just saying that some Americans do speak Spanish."

"Illegal American speak Spanish, sure I buy it."

"Just don't get our cleaning staff deported ok."

"They can go last, how about that."

"Fine since I know you will never catch all the illegals in the country."

"Hey, I'm Superman, I can do anything I set my mind to."

"You know, haven't you ever thought about changing your super hero name. I mean Superman is just so plain. It doesn't say anything about you. You should adopt a mascot or something. Change your costume to be like an animal, you know, spice it up."

"And what animal do you suggest."

"I don't know, you can fly so how about a… bat."

"That sounds so stupid. A bat. So then people will be calling me what… Batman?"

"Or The Bat."

"Next you will be telling me to dress up as a knight."

"Who dresses up as a bat"

"So then I would be the Dark Knight. Ah Bruce you are so full of laughs."

Both men finally stopped laughing and turned to other more important matters.

Clark began "I will give you the fuel technology next year then if you think that would be best."

"You can give it to me now and Wayne corp. can start using it now but we better not release to the public for at least a year. I have already told you, mankind can not handle too much new technology at one time. We have both seen what man is willing to do if they possess knowledge that they do not fully understand yet."

"Yes, I know. We should let them learn to hate oil at least so that they will embrace the new fuel with open arms when it does come so that they can make a clean break."

"Yah, that is the best way. Then we can make all oil use except for industry illegal and really cut down on emissions."

"By the way" asked Kent "did you get the contracts to replace the army equipment like you thought you would?"

"I got just under half. Stark got most of the rest with Lex corp. coming in third."

"But your weapons are better…"

"But were still melted by Superman so they were not seen as any better."

"So next time I will just make a show of melting the weapons made by Wayne Corp. but not actually destroy them. Then the military guys will think that your weapons are Superman proof and just buy from you next time."

"You better not do that too often. They might take your cherished citizenship away."

"Don't even joke like that. I love being an American. It is the best thing in the world."

"Just stating the risk."

"There was a reason I came to this country and no other. It was the will of God. I believe that."

"Is that why you spend all night looking up Bible verses you think are talking about you?"

"I think there have to be some. I believe in the Bible. I believe the Bible is 100 true. If you have faith in the Bible then you can have whatever you want. You just have to believe in the Bible. Really, look at it. Emmanuel, my real name is Kal-el. Micha-el. Don't you see a pattern there. There are already people saying that I am the savior of the world. Maybe there is more to me and my mission than even I know."

"Amen, you should have been a pastor not a super hero."

"Oh, but the prophets from the Bible were all given a calling by God to do, not just to teach. I am a doer, I have to accept that. The second coming. I think I am a part of it. I have a role to play. We are living in the end times my friend."

"You know you should come out to party with me and my friends some time. You should loosen up a bit. And you don't have to do anything wrong because you are saved. You are part of the elect, you may well be the second coming for all we really know. Come out and party with us, get yourself a girl for the night, let loose."

"Ah, I am just too boring for all that."

"Suit yourself. Oh, and if you do find Banner, tell him that his girlfriend was great, one of the best I ever had."

"Sure thing."

With that Clark Kent left Bruce Wayne's office and proceeded to the Daily Planet to write an article about why Wayne Corp. should have gotten more consideration in the public contracts and to urge Superman to destroy the U.S. government's ability to wage war again in the interest of keeping the world at peace.

The world was far from being at peace and this little fact was going to help David Banner sneak into Ethiopia. Banner didn't know that much about Ethiopia according to his own account but according to everyone else he in fact knew a great deal. He was one of the few people on the planet who could read and write in Ge'ez language, the ancient holy language of the country's Christians, and he knew most of the history and politics of the country. Ge'ez was one of the 74 languages that Banner knew. Most people in the modern Ethiopia spoke a language called Amharic that is similar to Ge'ez and uses the same writing system. Banner knew that for some reason Superman hated Ethiopia and was willing to lie to get everyone else to hate the country so it must be important to him. Banner had checked Superman's supposed evidence and while it could be true in a twisted and warped way of thinking, in objective reality, it was all garbage.

Then the reports in Ge'ez started to come out. Banner didn't pay too much attention to it all at first. The reports were of strange animals that were mutating and getting bigger and stronger. Crypto zoologist were all trying to sneak into the country across the closed boarder to see if Big Foot or any number of their obsessions were in the country. Then the news came out that people were not starving anymore. The vegetation in the country had begun to produce bigger, healthier crops and a lot more of them. People were saying that this was a blessing from God due to the union between the Catholic Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Pope was going to break with the U.N. and announced that he intended to visit the country. Fundamentalist in the U.S. demanded that if the Pope did so that the U.S. should declare war on the Vatican and again raised the idea that the Catholic Church was trying to take over the world.

Something in all of this got Dr. David Banner very interested in what was going on in Ethiopia and he didn't want to just sit back. He decided to go and the best way was to cross the war zone between Saudi Arabia and Somalia. People were just too busy fighting over the last bits of oil that they were destroying every country that Islam had conquered to notice Banner or pay any mind to him. He didn't look like a threat. One of the last communications he got before going silent was to be informed that he would not be winning the Nobel again this year since the treatment he had invented was of no use anymore after Dr. Sterns discovered a complete cure for all forms of cancer. Banner was happy for him but he knew Sterns. He knew what Sterns had been working on and he knew what Sterns was interested in and he was smart enough to figure out that Sterns was no where in the same state as finding a cure for cancer. Ross was right. There was a conspiracy, but that didn't really matter now. He was breaking international law and entering Ethiopia so what did he care about a stupid medal that he will never get.

In Ethiopia Banner was treated very kindly and most people thought he was a priest because of the way he spoke. As Banner learned Amharic he just couldn't help putting a lot of the Ge'ez into his speech to help himself along and that was interesting and mysterious to the Ethiopians. He made many contacts and eventually found himself in a zoo examining animals that had mutated. The mutations were not consistent. Some animals bulked up in size, other better eye sight, others were just faster than normal. Sometimes the normal fur patters would completely change or the head would be out of proportion with the rest of the body.

There was another thing that everyone was talking about too, Superman. They all hated Superman. They all felt that Superman had flat out lied about their country and wanted to try to let them all starve. Then they was the daily sighting of Superman flying over their country. Sometimes the Ethiopian military would fire missiles at him but he would dodge. Later Clark Kent, who somehow had photos, would publish articles calling this yet another aggressive threat by the corrupt Ethiopian regime. Superman never dared to land though. He only ever flew over the country.

Six months after being in Ethiopia, Banner made a break through. He discovered that there was a kind of strange radiation could be what was causing the mutations in the plants and animals and also in a number of children. The radiation was originating from several meteorites that had fell from the sky landed in the country about 15 years ago. The radiation was at very low levels so it took some time to build up in the environment but after it did the effects were amazing. The crypto zoologist who were consulting with Banner suggested that they call it crypto rays. This amused Banner but he wasn't about to buy into that name. If he did, then these meteorites would then have to be cryptons, or cryptonite or something stupid sounding like that and he wasn't about to go for it.

The end of Banner's stay in Ethiopia was very eventful. It saw the visit of the Pope to Ethiopia and the U.S. military surrounding the country to make sure that the Pope and anyone else could not get out. The U.S. did not declare war on the Vatican but they did take voting rights and citizenship away from all Catholics living in the United States. The Constitution is an amazing thing, it can be amended for good or ill, depending on point of view. Louisiana and New Mexico then tried to secede from the U.S. but were prevented by Superman. English was declared the official language of America and anyone who did not have a basic level of English would loose citizenship. All of this happened as Dr. David Banner slipped out of Ethiopia as easily as he has slipped in and then made his way back to a country were he was no longer a citizen.

At Wayne Corp. business could not be better. Wayne had introduced the new emissions saving engine that only would used very inexpensive mystery fuel from Wayne Corp. and the world embraced it with open greedy arms. On top of that, Lex Luther had finally been busted using nuclear energy and was put in prison while Wayne Corp. took over this conglomerate. The world was a great place and was only going to get better. The new constitutional amendments meant that now there was a lot more cheap labor on the market as Catholics saw their civil rights taken away bit by bit. The president promised to somehow repeal the amendments calling them only temporary until the Pope and the Catholic Church accepted the Bible as God and all other Fundamentalist beliefs. The civil unrest that all this was causing was creating a boom for sales of essential household items that Wayne Corp. produced and Bruce Wayne could not be happier. Riding in his limo past lines of poor people waiting for soup Mr. Wayne felt that the world was now finally as it should be.

He received a phone call. It was Betty Ross.

"Oh how are you lovely lady?"

"I am moving out is how I am."

"Oh, sorry to hear that" said Bruce in an almost chuckle. "I will have my staff help you in any way they can."

"You don't suppose they would kill your new girlfriend for me would they?"

"No, they can't kill or Superman will have them deported back to Mexico but whatever else you need they can do."

"Just tell me why."

"Why what? Oh, why a rich millionaire would jump girls, because I could."

"So I didn't mean anything to you."

"You mean a lot to me Betty, don't every say that you don't mean anything to me. You head one of my most important divisions and I let you live in my house for three years. That must show you that you mean something to me, a lot in fact."

"You were cheating on me this whole time."

"I told you the ground rules when we first got together. I never cheated in front of you but that did not mean I could not see other girls. You knew all that long ago and I could hardly call that cheating."

"You're right. But I guess…"

"Don't be sad. You know I care about you. I will come to see you from time to time, but I just had to move on. No apology necessary. So I will be seeing you at the office on Monday right."

Betty felt uneasy. She relied on Bruce for her lively hood and now that Bruce was almost in control of half of the economy it would be hard to be a person on his bad side. What could she do. David was gone so she couldn't go to him. Betty had wondered so many times if he would take her back. She had called but he never spoke with her after that last time and never called back. No email, no letter, not even a text message. Then he just disappeared after it was discovered that all his work to find this treatment for cancer that was going to revolutionize medicine was all a waste since the cure was now found. Betty wanted to believe that David was still alive out there somewhere but she had to be realistic. David was dead, probably suicide and if he wasn't then it meant he was living in fear in his little hole in the ground and Betty not was about to become a gopher.

"See you on Monday she said." Betty let herself be manipulated. What else could she do? She had lost her integrity so all that was left was her work.

The fire consumed the church building. The flames rose higher and higher and lit up the night sky. Then out of nowhere came Superman and he let out a great big breath and blew the fire out. But it was all too late. No one had died but the 200 year old church was now no more then its old stone frame. The men stood in shock and the women stood together and wept. The law did not forbid Catholics from worshipping but did forbid them from building any new churches or repairing old ones. There was not another Catholic Church for many miles and Fr. Smith would be arrested if anyone found out that he performed Mass in a private home. With all the crime happening lately in broad daylight you would suppose the police would have better things to do with their time but apparently not as priest all over the country now sat in prison for consecrating Eucharist.

Superman landed from the air and address the people. "I know this is a great loss to you all but fear not. True religion awaits for you. Believe in the Bible and you will be saved."

"What are you doing? These people have just lost their church and are prevented from rebuilding it and you want to proselytize them."

"Good sir, I would love to debate with you the nature of your religion and see how well it stands up to the example of faith in the Bible."

"What is wrong with you?" yelled a woman from the crowd.

"I bet Superman started the fire to begin with." said another.

"Now that is not true." returned Superman. "you should be grateful to me that I saved as much of it as I did but even more grateful that I am offering you a chance to join a bible based church and be saved and get your citizenship back."

Fr. Smith could not take anymore. "Get out of here and leave these poor people alone. You have done enough damage to our peace and way of life."

"I have not damaged you at all." Then Superman said in a loud voice, "this man, who is only a man and nothing more is the one who has damaged you with his false teachings that are not based on scripture."

Somehow Superman could see that he was not getting through to these people. They just were not listening to him. Why wouldn't they listen Superman wondered. He saw again that Catholics were a stubborn bunch, like the stiff necks of the old testament. Still determined to save at least one of them he began to try to engage in individual conversations and pass out little comics that would evangelize them.

One of the men had said no to Superman when he offer the little booklet about five times when Fr. Smith came over to Superman and physically got between Superman and the parishioner. "Mr. Superman, please go away. These people do not want you here."

"I am trying to save them."

"These people are all baptized, they are already 'saved' as you put it."

"Oh, now we are going to have to disagree on that because they have to accept the Bible to be saved."

"Do you not know anything about our religion at all Mr. Superman?"

"I know that it is a false religion that is not based on the Bible."

"The Bible if you must know is based on the Catholic Church." Fr. Smith was having about as much of Superman as he could handle and Superman was showing visible signs of anger at hearing this statement. "We wrote the Bible, We put it together and WE protected the Bible for 2000 years before you ever decided to drop out of the sky."

"But you are false if you do not follow the Bible."

"Have you ever even read your Bible? Do you know anything or do you just fly around and look good for the cameras? The Catholic Church is the Church of the New Testament. Those Churches mentioned in every book are CATHOLIC CHURCHES."

"Mister, I would watch my tone of voice if I were you, there are laws against disturbing others in this country."

"The only one disturbing anyone here is you."

Applause erupted from the crowd in favor of what Fr. Smith had said. Others were jeering Superman to leave.

"You Catholics are all going to hell for your non belief, it says so in the Bible. You are the false cult system from the book of Revelations, the beast." Superman was not winning this argument and he could see it. "Accept the Bible and be saved." No one was listening to him and now the entire crowd of people were yelling and jeering at Superman.

"We are a people of Faith Superman. A faith that you do not understand." Fr. Smith said to Superman in a tone so that only Superman could hear. "We are the Church built on the Rock."

Superman countered, "Peter was not the Rock, the faith was."

"You can say that Superman but the Bible does not. The Bible says that Peter is the Rock. The Bible says that Water Baptism is required. The Bible says that we are the Church establi…" Fr. Smith could not finish the sentence because Superman had grabbed him around the throat. Superman's anger was showing in facial features and it looked to the crowd that Superman was going to kill the priest.

"I know what the Bible says." said Superman. "I know because I belong to a Bible based Church. We believe in the Bible but you are the anti-christ."

People in the crowd rushed in to save Fr. Smith but could not get Superman to release his grip. Superman then suddenly lifted up into the air with Fr. Smith held by the throat. As Superman flew away he looked back and saw as muggers had been just out of eye sight and were now attacking the crowd of Catholics. Superman just figured that that was what they deserved for not believing.

As Superman held Fr. Smith by the neck he floated over the land several miles in the air. In the night sky Superman spoke in a whisper to Fr. Smith. "I am right and you are wrong because my faith is greater than yours. I believe in the Bible and I am willing to kill to prove it to you. You know that your pagan gods are no match for the Bible. Just admit it now and you may live. Admit that you believe in the Bible and be saved. Let me save you right now. Let me preach the word of the Bible into you so that you can be saved. Otherwise I will drop you and I do not have to save you. Just say that you accept the Bible as your personal Lord and Savior."

Fr. Smith knew about martyrdom. He had several friends of his already die in the wars of the past in places like Iraq and Egypt. The Lord was now calling him home. In his mind was saying a confession of his sins and asking for mercy, not only on himself but also for Superman who did not have the first clue about what he was doing. The question did not even occur to him that Superman would not drop him. He already knew that he was going to die tonight. He would not risk Hell by denying Christ. He would not loose his integrity to appease this bully. Fr. Smith began to struggle to speak and Superman put up a face to pretend to be intently listening.

"I believe in One God, the Father, the Almighty"

Anger was growing on Superman's face.

"Maker of Heaven and Earth."

Superman tightened his grip.

"And in … One Lord … Jesus Christ"

Each word spoken by Fr. Smith was like a knife stabbing into Superman. Superman had failed, he was unable to convert this, in Superman's opinion, evil priest to believe in the Bible.

"The Only Son of God"

"Shut up" screamed Superman in a scream that destroyed Fr. Smith ear drums completely.

As blood flowed out of his hears Fr. Smith continued.

"who was Conceived … by the Holy Spirit"

It was becoming very difficult for Fr. Smith to breath and the lack of oxygen was taking a toll on his senses. His eyes had blacked out and this limbs that hurt just before were now going numb.

"and born … fr … from … the Virgin…"

Superman did not want to hear the next word and was trying to get Fr. Smith to not say it, but it happened anyway.

"Maria … ooohhhhhh"

Fr. Smith hung lifeless as Superman still held him by his neck. Superman would hear that Fr. Smith heart still was beating very weakly. Superman could not save him. He could not convince this priest to believe in the Bible. What was the use of going on living if you were not an American and did not believe in the Bible? What value could you life possibly have. Still, no reason to cause a scene. The worst punishment would be for this evil priest to see how God would punish all who refuse to believe in the Bible.

Superman returned to the burnt out church and everyone was gone. He looked around and saw that a few people were hiding and watching him. Superman figured that he looked like he had saved the priest from some calamity or another. It was a great photo op if any of these people had cameras. He placed the priest on the ground in front of the Church and flew away.

After he was gone several people came up to the priest and tried to stir him. It was no use. The priest did not wake and a little less than an hour later his heart stopped. By the time the parishioners had carried him to a hospital that would accept a Catholic Fr. Smith was dead. The parishioners knew they couldn't go to the police. They would have to present their evidence, pictures and all to the public in a different way. This was the beginning they realized of the Church going underground like in days of old. Superman had killed their priest and the world needed to know about it. Superman had worn out his welcome.

"Ok you got me down here, what is so important?" asked Tony Stark.

"Yah, I want to know as well." said General Ross.

"Ok, both of you sit down and have a drink." replied Dr. David Banner. "This is going to take some explaining." There was an audible grone from both men. "It isn't that hard."

"Remember, we are like two year olds compared to you, keep it simple." Stark used this on Banner a lot and it seemed to work.

"Ok, first take a look at this rock." Banner produced a hand sized green rock from a lead can. "This rock was smuggled out of Ethiopia recently."

"By you I am guessing" said Ross.

"Uh, yah, anyway… This rock has been exposed to a strange kind of Gamma Ray while it was in space and then fell to earth. This is what is causing the plants and animals in Ethiopia to mutate. Now take a look at this." He turned a microscope to them and they looked into it. Then Banner started to explain some more but he lost both men. Then he pulled down a chart with lines and graphs on it that was all very impressive but neither Stark nor Ross understood what he was talking about.

Finally Stark had to cut in and say "So the punch line to this routine of yours is…"

Banner turned from his explanation and said "Is that we have discovered Gamma Rays in a form that we have never seen before that could be the end of all the food and fuel shortages around the entire world. Once irradiated with these Gamma Rays, they never stop producing more energy. They become their own source of new energy that defy the laws of conservation." Banner could see that he was about to loose them again.

"So why do you have us here and not UNICEF or the United Way?" asked Ross.

"Because there are also terrible military applications for this fuel. A bomb created using this fuel could set off a chain reaction that would destroy the entire earth before it stopped. This stuff is of great value to the human race but could also be our doom. We have to collect as much of this as we can and not let it fall into the wrong hands."

This was heavy news for both men. The three sat there for many hours discussing what to do and how to get this material out of Ethiopia.

"Do you suppose Superman knows about this stuff and that is why he convinced the U.N. to seal off the country?" asked Ross.

"It could be, but I know that when I was in country Superman was public enemy number one."

"Looks like he is also public enemy number one among Catholics now as well. Some Catholics have release photos of what they claim is Superman killing a Catholic priest," added Stark. "Clark Kent wrote up a story that said Superman helped to save all the people from a burning church and then flew away. After that muggers attacked and the priest was later found in bad condition and was dead upon arrival at the hospital."

"You know that guy is always taking up for Superman," exclaimed Ross. "What is he Superman's press agent?"

Banner laughed. Stark and Ross both looked at him. Banner looked back and gave a 'didn't you already figure it out' look. The two other returned blank stares. Banner raised his hands in a 'come on, think' gesture. Again blank stares.

"Kent is Superman."

"What, really" both Ross and Stark said at the same time.

"Oh come on, he doesn't even wear a mask or anything. You can't see that?"

"No."

Banner hung his head. Again, he was going to have to explain and show photo comparisons and all that. Sometimes Banner really wondered if he really was all that smart or if the rest of humanity was just really stupid.

This issue of Superman killing a priest was a big deal. It means that all bets are off and now Superman was a killer that had to be stopped. Dr. David Banner was going to have to do what he had never really wanted to do and that was to create weapons. At least these would not be used to kill people, just a very illegal alien who fell out of the sky and has been wrecking havoc ever since.

"We need to find out if this stuff can hurt Superman" said Banner.


End file.
